Chapter 130: Go Army!
“It seems that the conflict between the Navy and the Army is starting to surface.”
According to Ringo’s report, the Navy, which had been skillfully avoiding scrutiny until now, was finding it increasingly difficult to maintain that stance.
“Will this affect future negotiations?”
“Yes, Ma’am. There is a possibility that Army personnel will participate in the meeting. Essentially, the Army is only focused on hindering the Navy, so we can expect obstacles in all negotiations.”
Before it came to this, they had hoped to finalize some treaty. However, the commotion at the unveiling party had caused negotiations to come to a halt for several days.
The Navy was composed of many realists, making it relatively easy to search for points of compromise. However, the Army was different. Lacking any notable achievements, they were always trailing behind the Navy. It seemed they were more focused on tripping the Navy up rather than overtaking them, making them a rather hopeless organization.
The diminishing significance of the Army due to the Navy’s successes was also a problem.
“Hmm. What does the Army really want? I can’t quite grasp their intentions.”
“Upon analysis, it appears that there are few consolidated factions, and various groups are vying for power. The budget has been shrinking year by year, siphoned off by the Navy. Their equipment is becoming outdated, with no prospects for upgrades. Their role in border security is limited to a boundary of about 100 kilometers with neighboring countries. Moreover, the Navy keeps a watchful eye from both sides of the sea, and fortifications have been established in the central region, creating an impregnable defense.”
In the first place, they had already established a friendly treaty with the neighboring Wheat Country (Weitzenland), meaning there were no hostile nations for the Army to be wary of. The only concern was the potential for an amphibious invasion from the sea. However, from the perspective of the Kingdom of Repuitari, the surrounding nations were all weak and not worth worrying about.
Of course, this was under the assumption that they had sufficient naval power and enough ground forces to repel any invasion.
“The Army is only required to maintain the necessary strength for national defense. As a result, the originally ample budget has been systematically reduced under various pretexts. The Navy is often used as a scapegoat for these reasons, and it seems the Army has made them their nemesis.”
“Ah, so it’s just misplaced anger.”
Commander Eve decisively dismissed the Army.
“Even though we are connected to the continent, we are essentially a maritime nation, so it’s only natural that the Army’s power is waning. Initially, they had strong land forces because they had conquered this peninsula.”
By unifying the peninsula into a single nation, the necessity for the Army had diminished. It would have been ideal to dismantle the Army and shift personnel to the Navy at that time.
“The Army remained intact, while the Navy, which originally had only enough personnel for coastal defense, achieved some kind of breakthrough and gained power without relying on the Army. The Navy enriched the nation by plundering wealth from overseas and has become the next generation’s star. The Army failed to adapt and is left with nothing but embers of conflict.”
“Hmm…”
Ringo displayed a detailed power relationship chart, meticulously analyzed from data obtained through the Spy Bot Network. It quantified the factions, influence, and popularity of each individual.
“Adding ‘meticulously’ suddenly makes it sound suspicious…”
“Akane insisted on it.”
“I suppose I have no choice then.”
The Navy was neatly organized in a pyramid structure, while the Army was a chaotic mess. It was hard to even determine who was at the top. Surrounding them were various local lords, nobles, and merchants each asserting their presence.
“The Kingdom of Repuitari has been pursuing an expansionist policy until now. We have successfully driven a wedge into their internal affairs.”
“Honestly, I wasn’t thinking that far ahead. But looking at it this way, it seems like they might stir up another civil war due to the chaos…”
For now, the domestic focus was directed overseas, which could be considered a form of stability. Wealth was flowing into the country from abroad, allowing the citizens to benefit in some way.
However, this expansionist policy was about to hit the brakes.
If there were forces far stronger than them, it was uncertain how public opinion would shift.
“It would be great if we could trade. I wonder if the Navy can hold out…”
“I told you, if we leave it to the Navy, we will only end up with unfavorable conditions!”
“Exactly! Just because we are outperformed in ship performance doesn’t mean we should cower in fear!”
As expected, the Admiral-level Conference was in disarray.
“Depending on our response, our beloved Moar could be bombarded! We cannot afford to be careless!”
“I say that attitude is weak! If the ship’s cannons are the problem, then we should line up our own cannons!”
“You can’t just line up cannons in the city!”
The cautious Navy was trying to maintain control, while the Army resisted losing their grip. The Joint Command had long ceased to function, and the elderly generals, relegated to idle positions, remained silent.
“In our current system, there will be no one to argue against an unequal treaty being imposed on us!”
“Are you insulting our negotiators? We have seasoned veterans assigned to negotiations!”
“Hmph, I wonder about that. You weak-willed Navy folks might just crumble at the slightest pressure!”
The conference had devolved into a chaotic verbal brawl.
However, this meeting also served the important role of venting the Army’s frustrations. Thus, the voices raised from the Navy side were those of colonels and majors, while the generals and vice-admirals observed the flow of conversation.
“We demand to be present at the negotiation table as well. There can be no objections, right?”
“The other side does not wish to converse with the Army! If you offend them, can you take responsibility for the consequences?”
“A nation that changes its stance based on mood is not worth dealing with!”
“Is it acceptable to be seen as a barbaric nation that can’t even maintain internal unity?”
“It would be far better than being looked down upon as a spineless group with no solid opinions!”
The atmosphere in the chamber was heated, and it was only a matter of time before a physical altercation could break out. To an outsider, the exchanges seemed ridiculous, but those involved were genuinely shouting.
Traditionally, both the Army and Navy had held these meetings regularly, with the understanding that they served as a means of venting frustrations. However, it had transformed into a full-blown arena of insults. The only saving grace was that weapons had been strictly prohibited to prevent such a situation.
“Things are getting lively, aren’t they?”
“Yes, Ma’am. If the Navy is overwhelmed and the Army manages to join the meeting…”
“Should they say something unnecessary, shall we blow them away?”
“Yes, Ma’am. That is one option. While we can overlook a political change, a coup d’état would be troublesome, so if we sense any signs of that, we won’t hesitate to crush it beforehand.”
As they watched the chaotic brawl being broadcast from the assembly, Commander Eve and Ringo continued their leisurely conversation.
“If we were to introduce a deal for Redstone here, it would be absolute pandemonium.”
“Yes, Ma’am. It would be akin to launching incendiary rounds into the ammunition depot. With a grand explosion, the heart of the nation would be blown apart.”
Currently, Paraiso was attempting to secure advantageous treaties through military intimidation. What would happen if they added Redstone, a literal fuel source, into the mix?
“The Navy would certainly want to secure it, and the Army would desire it as well. The merchant guilds wouldn’t remain silent either. A fierce scramble for it is all but guaranteed.”
For that reason, they had intentionally excluded Redstone from the list of items being offered. Nevertheless, even that inventory seemed attractive to the Kingdom of Repuitari, and their interest was quite high…